The Right Stuff. As is my wont, I travelled through Morocco – and Paris – for nearly three weeks with only a carryon. Once you go Carryon-Only, you can never go back. There’s no feeling like simply getting off the plane and GOING, and of zipping through the streets of your destination with only a small roller bag. The problem was that our old luggage no longer fit the new sizing restrictions of any airline, and so after I listened to a Wirecutter episode on the topic, we bought new TravelPro carryon luggage. It’s sleek and strangely roomy.

For my under-the-seat personal item, I took a bag I bought in Italy last year, and put in it my cross-body, theft-proof travel bag. I will say that although theft is a problem in Paris, particularly on the Metro, it is not even on the radar as an issue in Morocco.

We took Westjet from Canada to Paris, but Air France from Paris to Morocco, and here is where I flew too close to the sun, so to speak. Size-wise, the bags fit perfectly, but Air France is VERY strict on weight, and sadly, I was overweight by two kilos. I blame my liquids and my stupid mistake of shoving my raincoat in my bag. On the way home it was no issue at all, somehow my luggage had lost THREE kilos. How or why I cannot say, there is no way my liquids were three kilos, and also I bought a few things, but I shall not overthink this. I was somewhat devastated to have to check my case at all – free of charge, but that is NOT the point – because my biggest travel fear is lost luggage. However, we have Air Tags and so I was able to obsessively track my luggage, and I breathed a sigh of relief when they were on the plane. Also, in Morocco we went through customs BEFORE collecting our bags, so my bag was waiting for me after the long customs line. Having to wait for luggage is not a fear, but it is an annoyance, and so I was happy to have my bag there and waiting for me.

Compress Everything. Where would we be without packing cubes? I bought some compression cubes a few years ago and I have never gone back; they are so handy for organizing. I brought an empty one as well to use for my laundry. Laundry detergent sheets are an absolute must for carryon travel; although most places we stayed in had laundry service, I did not find it onerous to just give my clothes a scrub in the sink and hang them to dry.

In addition to compressing my clothes, I also compress myself! I have pretty bad circulation issues and – even after surgery – significant varicose veins that get worse every year, so I wear compression stockings every time I fly. If you are thinking of those cute little knee-high stockings, think again. My stockings are medical grade, full-length, “nude” hose that look like something my grandma wore. It probably IS something my grandma wore, since I inherited this issue from her.

When I say “full-length,” I mean it.

Fortunately for me, you cannot tell I’m wearing them. Or at least I don’t THINK you can.

Everything Matches Everything. The key to packing light is to have every item match each other, which is easy for me since almost all of my clothes are black. In addition to my travel outfit above, I took five short sleeved tees (one grey and the rest black), two black tanks, a long-sleeve black top, a bathing suit and a white long-sleeved cover-up that doubled as a shirt, four pairs of pants (two black, one olive, one beige), a UV-rated shawl, a squishable hat, a scarf, and a raincoat, along with socks and underwear. I joked with the other ladies on our trip, all of whom had giant suitcases and many different colourful outfits, that I was either wearing the same thing over and over or I had many identical outfits, like Superman.

Sensible Shoes. Speaking of my grandma, sensible shoes are a must while travelling. Shoes take up a lot of space and so I wore these cute, but comfy shoes on the plane, and packed a light pair of sandals.

Wasn’t I just complaining last month about the Skechers that hurt my feet? Yes I was. But these are different! They were comfortable for walking around, and they were easy to slip on and off, which was important for when we were having tea in people’s houses or touring the mosque, which are no-shoe environments.

Open Mind, Open Heart, Big Smile. By far, these are the most important things to take on a trip. Live your life with arms wide open! The whole point of travel, for me, is to experience different cultures and see different things and to meet different people. Customs, food, and accommodations are going to be different. You might have to pay to use the washroom and you will most likely have to pay for water at restaurants. Showers might work differently, manners might not be what we are used to, the roads might be bumpy, both literally and figuratively. It’s all part of it! The best way to get by in any situation is to give a big smile and to know at least a few words in the local language. Fortunately for me, French is one of the official languages of Morocco, so I found it quite easy to communicate and to read signage and menus. Unfortunately for me, my six months of Arabic lessons on DuoLingo were essentially useless, as Moroccan Arabic is quite different. I discovered this after I cheerfully greeted the customs official with “You’re welcome!” when I thought I was saying hello. I repeated this a few times to random people before conferring with my guide, who gave me the correct words, as well as a few other phrases and the specific hand gestures that accompany them. The look of surprise and delight that I got from every person who I greeted this way was wonderful.

I will say, though, that sometimes – just sometimes – having a big smile and Nicole-like levels of general enthusiasm for everything can lead to misunderstandings and somewhat awkward situations. For this very brief anecdote, I need to give you a not-so-brief backstory. Of the twelve members of our group, only I and a lovely, also-enthusiastic Australian woman named Karen escaped what I am going to delicately refer to as Traveller’s Tummy. Was it our general enthusiasm that kept us in the clear? Our willingness to dance at every opportunity? Our partaking in slices of chocolate cake at breakfast in the Sahara? No one can say for sure, but every morning Karen and I checked in and quietly congratulated each other on our Stomachs of Steel. We didn’t want to boast or advertise, lest the Evil Eye look upon us and doom us to joining the group in washroom sprints.

My husband was the canary in the coal mine and was the first to be taken down, and the timing could not have been worse: it was just before a ten-hour travel day on the aforementioned bumpy, windy roads in our small bus with limited air conditioning. By the time we got to our destination, Erfoud, he chose to stay in the room eating dry bread and drinking sparkling water, rather than come for dinner that night, or breakfast the next morning, both of which were in our hotel.

The same young gentleman who served me sparkling water in the evening was pouring my coffee in the morning, and I beamed at him, thanking him in a weird mishmash of French and Moroccan Arabic. And then around the breakfast table, it was as if the Evil Eye suddenly looked upon all of my dining mates. They all rapidly, one by one, left the table, as I sat with my fourth cup of coffee. The coffee-bearing gentleman came up to me to see if I needed a refill, at which point I smiled and said Sure! I’m all alone, as I gestured to the suddenly-empty table. Oh, he said with an even bigger smile. You are all alone in Morocco, madame? He leaned in with the coffee pot. You have a beautiful smile. I think you are very sweet.

Whoopsies! Small communication breakdown. You know, I often feel, as a fifty-year-old woman, that I have donned the Cloak of Invisibility, but as I told my husband on returning solo to our room, I’ve still got it, baby! He listened to my story mutely, while swallowing motion-sickness tablets in preparation for the day’s journey. Those tablets, along with anti-diarrheal medication and rehydration salts, are also Travel Essentials that bear mentioning, particularly in more exotic locales. Don’t forget to pack them, along with your open heart. xo